


Take Control of Your Life-The Minute You Do Interesting Things Will Happen

by LeafontheWinf2



Series: AU One Shots [6]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, Holistic Assassin Bucky Barnes, Holistic “Detective” Steve Rogers, M/M, Natasha Romanov is Just Done, Sam Wilson is a Gift, Universe Reuniting Bucky and Steve, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-20 05:47:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14888778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeafontheWinf2/pseuds/LeafontheWinf2
Summary: Bucky is a special type of assassin, one who kills on the whims of the universe. And so far the universe has been telling him to bide his time until the perfect moment comes to wipe Hydra off the face of the earth and find his way back to Steve.Luckily for him, that moment is now.(A “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency” AU where the super soldier serum turned Bucky into a holistic assassin and Steve into a holistic “detective”)





	1. Winter Soldier-Bucky

**Author's Note:**

> Dirk Gently is one of my favorite tv shows. It’s clever, insane, and just wonderful to watch. 
> 
> After watching it for the millionth time, I got this crazy idea at 3 am that the super soldier serum can make Bucky and Steve like the characters in the show. So I’ve included a list of which characters were the inspiration for the story below (if you haven’t seen Dirk Gently, don’t worry about it): 
> 
> Dirk Gently-Steve Rogers  
> Tod Brotzman-Sam Wilson  
> Farrah Black-Natasha Romanoff  
> Bart-Bucky Barnes  
> The Rowdy Three-The Hulk

Sitting quietly as the Hydra agents ran around him, Bucky stared blankly ahead with focused determination. He never spoke to them, never smiled, never showed emotion because they didn’t deserve it. They thought he was an mindless automan, able to be wound up and released into the world to wreak havoc and cause death. Which was sort of true.

Yes, Bucky’s main purpose was to kill. It had been since Zola shot him up with the super soldier serum back in ‘43. He could still remember that moment, how his body had screaming in agony as every nerve came to light and burned in him. How it felt like his heart was melting out of his chest, how his brain came to life as the universe sunk its claws into him and made him aware of its plan. 

Because Bucky was the universe’s clean up crew. The one who stalked through the shadows taking out the worst kind of people with barely any effort. A janitor, an assassin that Hydra thought they controlled. But they didn’t, because they had ultimately failed.

Bucky remembered everything. He remembered Brooklyn in the summertime, remembered his mother and sisters. Remembered Steve, his golden shining boy. The light to Bucky’s darkness, the reason why he continued to move forward in this pathetic excuse of a world. 

Steve was like Bucky in how the serum reacted. Sure, it made Bucky’s boy tall and healthy, but it also opened up to the universe. They both got the same urge, the same need to wander forward as the universe dragged them from place to place to carry out its whims. Except while Bucky was the assassin, Steve was the universe’s guardian angel. Always running into danger to save people, people who would never be rescued if Steve hadn’t been the ones trying to help them because the universe always made sure that Steve came out on top.

And it was that fact that kept Bucky sane and functioning the day he learned that Steve had crashed into the Arctic. The universe would provide, would bring Steve back to Bucky so he could wrap around himself and keep his darling boy safe from the things that went bump in the night. The things that Bucky would terminate so nothing ever hurt Steve again. 

He knew his time waiting was coming to an end. He could feel it, the tingle from the universe in his toes and fingers (even the metal arm, his perfect weapon) telling him it was going to be time to kill again. The urge to wrap metal around throats and squeeze was growing, to place the perfect bullet between the eyes, a knife through their heart. Soon, Bucky knew, soon he would bathe in their blood and destroy them. 

It was what carried him through the whole mess as he was loaded up onto a van and drive out to hunt his target down. And really, how stupid was Pierce? To send out his best assassin in broad daylight to hunt down Captain America and take him down publically? For a secret organization bent on total world domination they made a lot of horrible decisions that put them under the spotlight. Not that Bucky really cared, because this mission was taking him straight back to his Steve. 

As the van Bucky had been loaded into came up behind the vehicle where the “target” (yeah, no Bucky wasn’t ever going to call Steve that seriously in his mind) he felt that tingle spread through his whole body. The call to clean up the mess, the urge to end all of this mess and make it better so he could rest for a little while before he was called out to act again. 

It was so easy to leap onto the car, simple to reach in and pull Sitwell out and throw him just so that his neck snapped when he hit the pavement. His blood purred in delight at the kill, delighting in a job well done and more filth removed before it could taint the world. Except his job wasn’t done, not yet. So he reached into the car, pulled the steering wheel free and watch gleefully as the people inside threw themselves out of the car and came rolling to a stop on the freeway. 

His eyes were locked on Steve as he threw himself from the car and rose. Everything in him screamed to return back to where he belonged, tucked up against Steve’s side to protect him from all threats and make sure he was safe and sound. It didn’t matter that Steve was flanked by two people, he didn’t care that they were pointing weapons at him. The only thing that mattered was Steve.

It felt so good to walk towards Steve. Everything in his was rejoicing, singing with rightness for the first time in seventy years. And judging by the giant grin on Steve’s face, he felt the exact same. 

“Bucky,” Steve whispered.

Behind his mask, Bucky grinned brightly as well (slightly more maniacal and bloodthirsty) and murmured, “Stevie…” But it was so quiet and muffled, only another super soldier could hear him and judging from how Steve’s expression lit up he had heard. 

Perfect. His boy had missed him as well. As clearly shown by Steve taking a step forward towards Bucky, shield hanging loosely by his side. 

Except the people with Steve were still keeping them apart, much to Bucky’s displeasure. He growled, low and furious as the man reached out to drag Steve back while the Widow fixed her gun on him. “Stop where you are,” she spat out even as the man started lecturing a sheepish looking Steve (so adorable), her finger curling around the trigger, “Or I’ll make you stop.”

Let her try. Nothing could stop Bucky, not when he was like this. Not when he had a purpose. So he wasn’t concerned when she opened fire, trusting that the universe would keep him alive and whole until he fulfilled his purpose. And sure enough it did, twisting him out of the way of her bullets which ripped into the Hydra agents behind him, causing them to drop dead to the pavement. Each shot, another dead agent. Each step, and Bucky felt more whole. 

Until finally he was within range, darting forward and wrapping his arms around Steve’s waist to pull them close. He was aware of the man yelling, could feel the Widow trying to draw her weapons but unable to (thanks universe) as he pulled Steve in close, allowing beloved fingers to remove the mask and reveal his wide smile and hungry gaze. Steve looked back, open devotion on his face as he dropped the mask and then Bucky was leaning in, kissing his boy deep and dirty, so pleased to be reunited after they had spent so long apart. 

And Steve, his sweet Stevie, was curling into the kiss. Allowing Bucky to lead, sighing softly and just relaxing for the first time in ages. Soft and trusting even as the Widow put her gun against Bucky’s temple and tried to fire (except the gun wouldn’t. The guns never did), as Bucky swung his arm made of flesh and bone behind him and opened fire on the approaching Hydra agents while licking into Steve’s mouth.

Kiss. Fire. Another kiss. Fire. Repeat, repeat, repeat the buzz in his mind screamed even as the man whispered “Holy shit” at the unfolding carnage, as the Widow pulled her gun away in shock to watch the agents drop one by one onto the ground. It was only when the last body hit the ground that Bucky could feel the urge to kiss Steve lessen, allowing him to pull back for air. 

Air, which Steve obviously wanted to share seeing how he leaned forward to press his forehead against Bucky’s. Teary blue eyes stared helplessly at Bucky, expression mournful. “I tried to find you,” Steve whispered, “I tried to get to you, but it wouldn’t let me...it led me to the Valkyrie and made me put it down in the ice…”

“I know Stevie, trust me I know,” Bucky muttered, “I tried to get to you, could feel you were waiting but you know how it goes. More people to kill so I just kept killing. You know how it is.”

Steve grinned, sheepish and helpless because if anyone knew what Bucky was talking about it was him. Only Steve understood the insanity that was Bucky’s life, because he had his own insanity to deal with. Namely when the universe decided Steve needed to save something and sent him off to do so. Which seemed to be happening now, judging by the way Steve’s bright eyes were dimming, going to that far off place that drove him like the buzz drove Bucky.

“We need to leave,” Steve announced, causing his two companions to stop their shouting to stare at him, “We need to go. Right now.”

Bucky nodded, holstering his gun and starting to usher Steve along towards an abandoned car even as the Widow tried to grab him but couldn’t. He could feel Steve’s companions (maybe friends?) stumbling along behind them as Steve ducked in behind the steering wheel and Bucky climbed in the back where he was meant to go. Steve waited long enough for the Widow to climb in the back and the man in the front seat so obviously the universe wanted them there, so Bucky would play nice. 

Well. Nice for him at least. 

“Steve,” the man hissed, eyes wide and frantic, “What the hell man? What just happened! There’s twenty dead guys that this dude just killed without even trying!”

“It’s complicated,” Steve muttered, checking to see if there were keys in the ignition. 

The Widow’s eyes narrowed dangerously, “Uncomplicate it Rogers.”

“I can’t really do that. I mean, I tried before with Peggy and the Howlies, but they just gave up and went along with the whole mess cause its a side effect of the serum,” Steve huffed in annoyance, “Of course. No keys so I can show you.”

“Show us what?” the man asked the same time as the Widow snapped, “You can just hotwire it, stop messing around!” But Bucky knew what was coming, so he slumped back in his seat and grinned which clearly made the widow uncomfortable. 

But it was worth it, to watch her stunned expression when Steve stepped on the gas pedal and the car just started. Suddenly, with no keys and no hotwiring. But the engine started because Steve needed it to. “Holy shit,” the man whispered as Steve started to drive down the empty freeway, moving onto the surface streets of DC. “What was that?”

“That was Steve,” Bucky pointed out, grinning as the man glared at him. “Steve, who are these two?”

“Natasha and Sam,” Steve answered, voice already going a bit fuzzy from the pull, “Nat, Sam, this is Bucky. He’s like me.”

“He just murdered a shit ton of people,” Sam hissed, “How is that like you? Even a little bit!”

“The car,” Natasha, he would call her that because Steve did, murmured softly, “Whatever let Steve start a car just by touching it must be why I couldn’t shoot Bucky here.”

“And why all the Hydra agents are dead,” Bucky confirmed, stretching out, “I’m a holistic assassin.”

Sam turned to fix him with a look. “A what now?”

“Holistic assassin. It means I kill whoever I feel like killing, and when they die they’re my target,” Bucky shrugged, “Like Hydra. I just felt like killing them today, so I did.”

Natasha snorted, “This is insane.”

Sam’s face took on a pinched, pained look. “That’s not an assassin, that’s just murder. Assassins have targets.”

“He did have a target,” Steve’s soft voice cut into it, “The feeling he talked about? It’s...it’s the universe Sam, alright? I know it sounds crazy but it’s true. The serum opened us up to the universe and it tells Bucky who he needs to kill and when so the universe can keep running. He physically cannot ignore it, he tried during the war and started bleeding from his eyes. He’s not really an assassin, more like a janitor for the universe…”

Bucky glared, “Steven, I told you not to call me that!”

“But it’s true! You just saw it, we weren’t the targets so we weren’t hurt,” Steve sighed, “Sam. Hydra was right there with automatic weapons. We should be filled with bullets but we’re not because the universe protected us. And Nat. You held a loaded gun to Bucky’s head and fired, and nothing happened. How do you explain that?”

“A malfunction,” was her dry answer.

Which Steve met with too knowing eyes. “Really? It’s a malfunction when you were able to use it literally seconds later on a Hydra guy?”

“I can’t be hurt when I’m after a target,” Bucky admitted with a shrug, “The universe sets it up so I’m protected, that I can carry out what it wants and that doesn’t allow for injury.”

“But your arm…”

“Is another weapon for me. Just how coincidental was it that I fell off a train, landed in snow, got captured by Hydra, had my arm replaced, with a fully functioning metal arm in the 50s that doubles as a weapon, and was kept alive until now where I could find Steve when he’s fighting Hydra?” Bucky nodded into the silence that met his words, “That’s the holistic part. Everything, each coincidence in connected in some way shape or form to lead me where I need to be.”

Sam shifted in his seat, turning nervous eyes to Steve. “So...are you also a holistic assassin?”

“No,” Steve sent Sam a quick smile which seemed to reassure the man, “I just...the universe takes me to places and events that no one else can handle. And then I fix it so the world runs smoothly. I’m the repair man really.”

Natasha still did not look convinced, “A repair man?”

Steve shrugged, “What a coincidence that I crashed a plane into the Arctic, got frozen for seventy years and emerged perfectly healthy, was found by SHIELD just in time to fight off an alien invasion, moved to DC only to find out Hydra had a plot to enslave the world and happened to just be in position to fight them?”

“So,” Sam muttered softly, voice sounding hurt for some reason, “Everything you did was controlled by the universe?”

“Of course not. It just leads me into strange places, and then I do the rest. Just because it’s a game doesn’t mean I’m not in control of my own moves,” Steve sent Sam a gentle look that would have made Bucky jealous if he was less certain of Steve’s devotion, “Or the other players working with me. The universe did not make me want to be your friend Sam.” Oh, Bucky realized, that was why Sam had been hurt. “I chose to be your friend because I wanted to, not the universe. In fact, the universe prefers I handle things by myself.”

A heavy silence fell over the car for a while as the two tried to process what Steve had just told them, while Bucky watched Steve at work. 

Eventually Natasha was the one who broke the quiet. “So, what happens now?”

Bucky shrugged, “We follow Steve.”

“Right. Of course,” she leaned forward to stare at Steve as he drove, “Do you even know where you’re going right now? Cause we’re leaving DC.”

“I don’t have a clue,” Steve admitted cheerfully, “But we’re going the right direction.”

She looked frustrated, “How do you know?”

“Because I rarely know where I’m going but always end up just where I need to be. Like right now,” Steve winced a little, “I know how frustrating this can get. I’m sorry Nat.”

“It’s apparently not your fault if what Bucky back there said is true,” Sam said making Steve smile brightly and that alone was enough to make Bucky like him. “We’re headed where we need to be to stop Project Insight then?”

Steve nodded, pulling off the main road to a smaller side one. “It’s close,” he murmured, gesturing helplessly at his head. “I can feel it just buzzing around. Getting louder. When we get there it’ll go quiet…”

At Sam and Natasha’s questioning looks, Bucky nodded. “Yeah,” he murmured softly sad eyes locked on Steve, “It’s really painful when this happens. But he’s following it so it shouldn’t be too bad.” Or at least Bucky hoped so. Steve’s version of the serum was stronger than his, so the effects were stronger as well. If Steve didn’t listen to the urges, he’d end up on the ground bleeding from his eyes, nose, and ears while struggling to breathe until he complied. Bucky could function for maybe half a day before he was even half as close as that bad, but Steve didn’t have that luxury. So he followed the directions faithfully. 

Still, it was a relief when Steve stopped the truck in front of a concrete bunk and just relaxed, tension suddenly gone. They were where they needed to be then, the car just suddenly stopping and allowing Bucky to climb out before wide eyed Sam and Natasha followed. 

As they started nervously towards the bunker, Bucky waited patiently as Steve pulled himself out of the car and into Bucky’s arms with a happy sigh. “We’re nearly done with this,” Steve whispered, “I can feel it.”

Bucky hummed happily, kissing Steve once more just because. “Then let’s finish this so we take a vacation or something.”

Steve blushed, “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Just get the buzzing out of our heads then we’ll rest for a while,” or until the universe needed them again. But it was worth it, Bucky mused as he took Steve’s hand and wandered towards the bunker. Anything that reunited him with Steve was worth it.


	2. Winter Soldier-Steve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I finished the first chapter, then really wanted to write how dealing with Project Insight went. Because things changed a lot when Bucky turned on Hydra.
> 
> Some stuff will be left out because this chapter is from Steve’s POV. I figured since the last chapter was about Bucky, this one should be about Steve.

Settled back in the back of Maria’s car, Steve settled as they headed towards the Triskelion. It had been easy to coordinate how they handled taking out Hydra, and SHIELD along with it. Sure, Fury hadn’t been happy with that decision, but Steve could just feel it was the right decision to make. So he was sticking to it. 

The heavy pressure if Bucky’s metal hand in the back of his neck had Steve relaxing. It was so easy to allow himself to be manhandled into Bucky’s side, tucked in close so he could hear Bucky’s heart beat. The rhythm was soothing, relaxing enough that Steve could feel his eyes starting to slid closed. 

Everything had been going along beautifully which had been great to watch. Steve could still picture Sam and Nat’s stunned expressions as he just walked into the Smithsonian and walked back out with his old uniform in hand. No alarms had been tripped, each security cam just happened to go dark, and he walked back with no one the wiser. 

“What the honest fuck,” Maria had muttered. 

Steve had just shrugged, “That’s just how it works.” And it was true. This was how it worked when the universe was on your side, arranging the cards so you walked out victorious. And they had to be victorious, there was no other option. He could see it. A million possibilities of how the fight would play out. A thousands opportunities for him to expose Hydra, to fix everything, to make the world right...

A soft kiss to his brow brought Steve back to the present and to Bucky’s worried eyes. “There you are doll,” Buck murmured adoringly, “Got lost in your head there a bit.”

“Oh,” Steve whispered, “Sorry. Just looking at the possibilities.”

“Can you really do that?” Sam asked, voice soft even as he peered around Bucky’s bulk, “See what we’re going to do?”

“I can see probabilities,” Steve admitted, “Which sucks because everyone can do like a million things and I can see it all…”

Cool metal pressed into his temple, soothing an ache Steve hadn’t even realized was there. “It happens in about five seconds,” Bucky’s voice grounded Steve to the moment, brought him back into reality, “All those choices, occurring at once in his head...if he didn’t have the serum he’d probably have gone insane back during the war.” 

“Jesus,” Sam hissed, “That is seriously messed up.”

“Beats all the diseases I used to have,” Steve murmured, mind starting to clear as the car pulled to a stop. It was time to go, Steve just knew it. He could feel everything inside of him come alive, driving him forward and out of the car before Maria had put it in park. 

Striding forward towards the lobby, Steve could hear Maria and Sam scrambling to catch up. Bucky was already behind him, a protective shadow bristling with weaponry that matched Steve’s stride. 

“Is there a plan?” Sam huffed out, running up to Steve’s other side, “Besides just walking through the front door?”

“Nope. It doesn’t matter. No one will notice us yet.”

“This is the best intelligence agency in the world,” Maria’s annoyed voice joined them, “And you think they’re not going to notice you walking inside? With the Winter Soldier following you?”

“They won’t notice,” Steve shrugged, stepping through the sliding doors and into the lobby. Past the STRIKE team, whose eyes slid over the group. Through the metal detectors which went off, but no one noticed. And last the security desk, where the guards were busy muttering about dinner and didn’t so much as glance at them. “See?”

Sam shuddered as people neatly stepped out of their way, moving around them without actually seeing them. “This is seriously creepy. And it just happens?”

“Yeah. You get used to it,” Steve ducked into a side hallway, just knowing where to go. The original plan was just to go straight to Project Insight and deal with it. But now that they were here Steve knew he was missing something vital. Something which called to him and drew him deeper and deeper into the building until they reached one of the communications rooms which just coincidentally happened to be empty. 

The main console drew Steve forward. Distantly he was aware of stretching out his hand, pressing a button, and his throat vibrating with words. But that was all so distant from now. Because a million new possibilities had just slammed into his head. Of different people in the building, and their actions based on the words he’d just spoken. Their desire and need to stop Hydra, to show their support for Captain America. All of it was there. 

A million choices. A million little decisions building into one massive, explosive final event where order was restored. An order where people lived, were happy, had families and went home. Where Hydra slowly crumbled to dust, leaving Steve and everything he loved victorious. All that, in a moment.

So when Sam started talking, Steve really couldn’t hear anything. Oh, he knew he’d stopped speaking, but that was it really. Everything else was distant, a wash of sound and light and feeling while Steve was just a speck in the vastness of it all…

Then awareness returned. Slamming into him with the force of a truck, knees buckling as he fell to the ground. But he wouldn’t touch the ground, that Steve knew. Because Bucky caught him, held him close and centered him once more. 

“Jesus,” Sam hissed, “His eyes…”

“Yeah, I know.” Bucky’s voice was still fuzzy, but the feel of him was grounding. “Stevie. Sweetheart. I need you to let me clean your face.”

“What? Why?” Steve clumsily reached up, pawing at his face to see what was making Bucky look so sad and Sam so distressed. He pulled away, unsurprised to see his hand coated in blood. “Oh...I’m bleeding?”

“From the eyes baby. But it’s stopping, so you’ll be alright.” Bucky’s voice was soft even if his hands were efficient and clinical as they moped the blood from Steve’s face and helped him back onto his feet. “Do you know what happened?”

“I spent to long talking,” a feeling of rightness centered in Steve’s chest, an understanding that this was the problem, “We were supposed to leave ten seconds ago.”

Sam, who was on his other side, looked even more horrified by that. “You mean to tell me that whatever this holistic shit is makes you bleed from the eyes of you get of course even for a second?”

“Well. Yeah, that’s how it works,” Steve couldn’t help but shrug. He’d become resigned to this type of life years ago. “I just go where the universe takes me, plays the games it wants me to play.”

“Some game,” Sam snarled, sounding so offended on Steve’s behalf that he couldn’t help but smile gratefully. “You just gave a speech about choice. But I’m not hearing much of what choices you get to make!”

Bucky’s warning growl was the only hint that Sam had crossed some sort of line. “Steve makes plenty of choices!”

Oh, so that was why Bucky was upset. The thought that Steve was pulled more easily by the universe than he was. It was an old, insecure fear from the war. When Bucky had first pressed a clumsy kiss to Steve’s mouth because the universe felt right and then had spent the next week insisting Steve only kissed back because the universe wanted him too, because god forbid Steve actually want Bucky. 

The same fear that had Sam questioning their entire friendship back in the car. The terror that Steve couldn’t control his own thoughts and actions due to this connection. 

“Sam. Just because it’s a game doesn’t mean I can’t chose the moves I make,” Steve grinned, childish and bright, squeezing Bucky’s hand before stepping out of the building into the sunshine, “And right now my move is to fuck Hydra up. That good with you boys?”

“Sir, yes sir,” was Bucky’s bloodthirsty answer as he let go of Steve’s hand to open fire on Hydra. And oh. Steve always forgot how beautiful Bucky was when he was in his element. How he practically danced through the air, bullets missing him while he fired impossible shot after impossible shot into his targets. Or even when he would suddenly lurch, seeming to drunkenly stumble but in reality just bending out of the way of harm. All of it, tying together into one of the most impressive murder sprees Steve had ever seen.

“Holy shit,” Sam muttered as they sprinted through the clear marked by Bucky’s victims, “Did he just throw that guy into a quintet turbine?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, that engine failure took out like twenty people,” Steve didn’t flinch as one of the STRIKE agents pointed a gun in his face, trusting Bucky would take care of it. And sure enough, before he could so much as flinch a knife slammed into the man’s head sending him slumping onto the ground while blood pooled everywhere. “Are you going to be fine going after the Helicarrier?”

Sam grinned. “I’m good.” He looked radiant as his wings appeared. “Apparently the universe is going to protect me or some shit.”

“That’s the spirit. Good luck.” And then Steve was alone, sliding his way through the agents and bodies towards the Helicarriers. No one saw him, or they did but their eyes actually just rolled over Steve’s form and kept going about their day. 

So it was stupidly easy to get in the first Helicarrier. He just walked in, past the guards, and traded the chips before moving on to the next one. 

But of course, just because it was going well for him didn’t mean it was going well for anyone else. On the comms he could hear Nat starting to struggle as she confronted Pierce. Could hear Sam lose his wings and apologize for not doing more (ridiculous man, was Steve’s fond thought). Or how Bucky had run out of bullets and knives and was starting to get creative with his targets. 

Yeah, it was a slowly spreading chain of disaster so it was just a matter of time before it reached Steve. He really hoped it would be after he got the last chip in, so that way everything could work out while Steve untangled the mess. It was the only thing that mattered as he picked his way through the Helicarrier rising steadily from the ground, devoid of guards as he approached the main bay.

It was too easy Steve mused as he approached the last ladder. Anyone could have done this and made it. Why would the universe need him in particular to handle this? What made it such a huge mess?

The answer of course, was absolute pain. Blinding agony as a bullet tore through his knee, sending Steve sprawling helplessly on the floor. It was so hard not to clench his first and shatter the delicate chip, but he managed. 

“Fuck,” Steve gasped, head kind of woozy when he looked down to see most of his knee cap completely gone, “I’m hit.”

“What? Steve are you alright,” Sam’s worried voice broke through, “I’m figuring out a way to get you clear.”

“Steve can you finish the mission?” Maria, concerned but focused. 

“I’m fine,” Steve gasped out, knowing from a Bucky’s silence that he must be too furious for words. And sure enough the sound of screams and gunshots picked up from below. “I can finish the mission.” He had to. He couldn’t give up now. 

But first he had to deal with whoever was shooting at him. So even though it was agony, Steve shifted enough of his weight to grab his shield…

Or he would have if another bullet didn’t tear through his shoulder, leaving him gasping and light headed from the pain as Rumlow stalked towards him, a sadistic smile on his face. 

“You know Cap. Hydra made these great bullets to put you out of commission. Looks like they work great.” And oh boy, they sure did their job. Steve could barely move because it hurt so much. 

Still, some movement was possible so he very carefully began to curl into his injured shoulder. 

“I saw you and the Asset by the way,” Rumlow spat out, “Saw how you let it kiss you on the bridge. Acting like a slut and gagging for it…”

Steve lashed out, kicking as hard as he could with his good leg now that Rumlow was in range. He managed to smash his boot into Rumlow’s chest, the force picking him up and tossing him down the length of the catwalk. Still, Rumlow’s fingers contracted in response, causing the gun to go off one more time as a bullet ripped into Steve’s gut. But still, even with agony pacing through him Steve could use his good arm to pull himself up and paw at the access panel in desperatio.

It hurt so damn much, but he was able to get the chip in. “Charlie lock,” Steve gasped, slumping sideways as his strength left him, leaving him weak and helpless as he slid off the catwalk and onto the glass lookout below. Distantly, he could heat Bucky’s voice telling Maria to take a shot (which shot? Where?) but that didn’t matter now.

All that mattered were the little black dots dancing in Steve’s vision as he laid there in a pool of his own blood. His head slumped into the glass, allowing him to look down at the carnage below as the Helicarriers began to fire on each other. 

It would be worth it, Steve mused, to die here. Because he could look down and see his Bucky below. So beautiful, even stained with gore and still fighting while the skies burned. So strong, using the metal arm to rip someone’s head off, and maybe it was the blood loss but it made Steve a little wistful that he may never watch Bucky slaughter Hydra agents ever again. 

But he was oh so thankful when Bucky looked up and their eyes met. The love and devotion he showed had Steve smiling like a sap, uncaring of the blood staining his teeth. He would bleed out happily if Bucky would just give him a smile.

But his contrary love couldn’t do that. No, his expression just turned cold, a furious snarl turning that handsome face savage as Bucky raised up a gun and pointed it towards…

Agony. Once again, everything burned as a heavy weight pressed down on Steve’s gut wound. He couldn’t help but cry out weakly as a heavy hand grabbed his face, forcibly turning Steve to stare up at Rumlow’s sneering face.

“You little bitch,” he spat, and Steve screamed as Rumlow’s fingers tore into the wound in Steve’s shoulder. “You broke a couple of my ribs with your stunt up there. I’m going to enjoy making you scream.”

Steve groaned, vision whitening out for a second. “G...go to hell.”

“Not till I’m done playing with you. Going to cut you open where the Asset can watch. Have it strapped down so it sees me pull you apart one limb at a time,” Rumlow’s chuckle was a hollow promise, but Steve wasn’t afraid. Because he had seen Bucky lining up a shot. “Well Cap? Got any last words?”

“My boyfriend is going to kill you.” Steve grinned, bloody and broken even as Rumlow laughed and laughed.

“The Asset is all the way down there Cap. It can’t possibly reach me up here, not when your pretty head is blocking the shot…” 

The crack of glass shattering was the only warning before a bullet broke through the glass. It ricocheted off a support beam, veering down and impacting on the back of Rumlow’s head, turning the whole thing into an explosion of brain matter and blood. 

Steve grimaced as they sprayed over his face. He had brain matter in his hair, he realized as Rumlow’s corpse slumped over next to him on the glass.

“Bucky,” Steve whimpered, only now becoming aware of the frantic yelling from his friends over the comms (his ears had been ringing, huh. He hadn’t noticed till it stopped), “Buck, you killed him.”

“I sure did baby,” Bucky’s voice crooned.

“You killed him while he was on me,” Steve ground out, “You asshole. I have his blood in my mouth now. All cause you couldn’t shoot him while he was walking?”

“Really Steve?” Was Sam’s exasperated yell even as Bucky grumbled, “This is like France in ‘44 all over again.”

But Steve didn’t care about that right now, he had bigger concerns. “I can’t walk,” he muttered, “I’m not going to be able to get out.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got you,” Bucky promised and Steve could hear the sounding a gun cocking, “Just relax baby, I’m going to get you home.”

And what else could Steve do but trust him? It was written into his very bones, tied into who he was. So he just lay there as Bucky shot, the bullet shattering the glass and sending Steve falling through the air.

He trusted as he hit the water of the Potomac, believing Bucky would come save him as the water closed up around his head. And sure enough he was right. Because as he sunk towards the bottom of the river, Bucky was there gently gathering him close and pulling Steve out of the water and Steve was just so tired. He couldn’t possibly keep his eyes open right now, not when he knew Bucky would keep him safe…

So he sunk into the darkness, giving over to it and his strange dreams. He had flashes of panic, of strange things in the night as he drifted in unconsciousness. Of a girl and boy like Steve but not halfway around the world. Of a man relying on Steve to solve a murder. And of course of Bucky and his devotion, his love as he guarded Steve even in his dreams.

Through it all, the universe whispered to him. Murmured to Steve, warning him that something was coming. The reason why he and Bucky had cruelly been brought forward through time instead of being allowed to age naturally together was approaching, and Steve needed to be ready. He didn’t know what was coming yet, there were still to many choices that hadn’t happened, but he could start gathering allies to prepare. 

It was his purpose, his destiny. And the universe promised that once the threat was taken care of, he and Bucky could finally rest. So with that promise, Steve left the dreams and darkness and opened his eyes…

To the ever familiar white of a hospital ceiling. Hospitals always left Steve feeling bemused in the future. Trapped between melancholy of spending so much time in them in the last and resignation that they felt familiar to amused that nothing had really changed in them. And today was no different as a small smile tugged at Steve’s lips. 

A warm hand against his had Steve painfully turning his head, beaming when he met Sam’s fond expression. “On your left,” Sam teased, mouth smiling but eyes serious, “You gave us quite the scare there Steve.”

“Sorry,” Steve rasped out, “When can I leave?”

Sam snorted. “Not for a while Steve. You did have giants chunks of you get blasted off by Rumlow. Even with the serum, you’ll be here for a while.”

No way in hell was Steve staying here for more than a full day. “Yeah, sure Sam. But where’s Bucky?” Bucky was supposed to be here, supposed to be fussing and kissing Steve. 

“I sent him to take a shower,” Sam grimaced, “It was bad. He was rank, what with all the blood and guts on him and his refusal to leave your side to wipe it off.” 

“And that refusal was smart, seeing how the second I leave Steve he wakes up.” Bucky’s unamused voice drew Steve’s gaze. He was powerless to do anything but gaze adoringly at his best guy leaning in the door frame, all clean and handsome while he glared at Sam. “I’m not going to forgive you for this Wilson.”

“Excuse me for not wanting to wait around in a room with a man covered in drying blood,” Sam rolled his eyes while he fondly patted Steve’s hand before stepping away from the bed, “I’ll give you two a minute alone.”

“Thanks Sam,” Steve whispered, waving goodbye weakly as Sam slid past Buck and out of the door. 

Bucky growled, pulling the door closed before hurrying over to the bed to run his hand through Steve’s hair. He was always so gentle, Steve mused as he relaxed into the attention. Bucky always treated Steve like he was still so fragile, always doted on him. 

“You gave me quote the scare Stevie doll,” Bucky cooed, pressing an adoring kiss to Steve’s forehead. 

“Sorry Buck. Didn’t mean to.” Curling up under the blankets, Steve made sure to widen his eyes until they were nice and big before whimpering out, “Hold me?”

Bucky snorted. “Such a punk.” But he did wrap his arms around Steve, so it was a victory for Steve because he could just rest his head against Bucky’s warm chest and hear his heartbeat. 

Steve sighed happily, nuzzling against hard muscle. “I can’t wait to get out of here.” To go home, to let Bucky take him to bed and love him until Steve couldn’t remember his name…

“You need to heal first,” was Bucky’s soft reproach, “You’re full of holes Steve. I nearly lost you today.”

“But I’m still here. I’m always going to be here with you,” Steve promised.

“How do you know?” Bucky asked, voice small and so very afraid. “How can I possibly know that I won’t lose you tomorrow or the next day?”

“The universe promised me,” Steve admitted, voice a soft whisper, “When everything is over, we’ll get to retire and be happy together.”

“I like the sound of that,” Bucky murmured, leaning in to drag Steve into a toe curling kiss, full of passion and fire. 

And Steve melted into it. He went limp, letting Bucky manhandle him, trusting the other to keep him safe and hold. Soon, Steve knew, he would leave the hospital they would get to reacquaint themselves with each other once more. Steve would learn all of Bucky’s changes with his touch and kisses, while Bucky returned home to the safety Steve’s body provided. It would be glorious, their joining into one.

Steve had already waited seventy years for this. He would wait a few more days until he healed. For Bucky, he would be patient.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rumlow’s weapon was developed by Hydra to take out Cap. I figure Pierce trusts him more than he would the Asset, which is why Rumlow gets the gun. 
> 
> Also, the reason why he didn’t just kill Steve immediately is because of Bucky. Bucky just killed off all of STRIKE and most of Hydra. Rumlow had a chance of hurting Bucky by torturing Steve, so he decided to keep Steve alive to make Bucky pay for killing off his friends. That was my logic behind that. 
> 
> And I’ll probably come back with little snippets of stories in this universe later on.

**Author's Note:**

> So Bucky is pressed to kill whoever the universe needs him to kill (which is why Nick Fury survives, because Bucky wasn’t supposed to kill him).
> 
> Steve has to fix insane problems to keep the universe working. That’s why he didn’t look for Bucky when he fell and crashed the plane instead of landing it, the universe needed him to go to the future to deal with the utter insanity. So Steve is physically incapable of ignoring what’s happening because the universe is making him help. 
> 
> Eventually, the boys will fix the insanity of the world and live happily ever after.


End file.
